Romney will be the GOP nominee

[boutons_deux]

On MLK Day, Romney Campaigning With Anti-Immigrant Official Tied To Hate Groups

On a day set aside to honor civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr., Mitt Romney plans to tout his extreme immigration positions during a campaign stop in South Carolina today — with Kris Kobach, the author of Arizona’s and Alabama’s immigration laws, at his side. He will attack his competitors Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry for their softer immigration stances, which could resonate with South Carolina voters who support that state’s harmful immigration law.

“Mitt Romney stands apart from the others. He’s the only one who’s taken a strong across-the-board position on immigration,” Kobach said, and he told Fox News’ Neil Cavuto that Romney was much farther to the right on illegal immigration than his fellow presidential candidates.

Before he became Kansas’ secretary of state, Kobach worked for Immigration Reform Law Institute, the legal branch of Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), which the Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled as a “nativist hate group.” One of FAIR’s main goals is to overturn the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which “ended a decades-long, racist quota system that limited immigration mostly to northern Europeans.” FAIR’s founder John Tanton has said that he wants the U.S. to remain a majority-white nation through limiting the number of non-whites who enter the U.S.

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/201...ther-king-day/

[AFBlue]

His stance on immigration is a legitimate concern in the general election. A couple of the other surprising stances brought up last night that might give him trouble...detaining Americans indefinitely and not allowing reformed violent criminals to ever vote again.

Those are strangely hardline for a supposed moderate.

[Winehole23]

Those are strangely hardline for a supposed moderate.

Not for a candidate without any well-defined core.

Romney is only pretending to be hardline now, but if he is elected President and still feels the need to project "tuffness," there will be nothing pretentious about it.

[AFBlue]

I think the "tuff" schtick is real.

[Winehole23]

doesn't seem to be working at the moment:

[boutons_deux]

I think the "tuff" schtick is real.

Willard Gecko is pampered, born-wealthy wimp. shtick is theatre, TV candy, it ain't real.

His Bain was also a liar, bidding high for company, scaring off other buyers, then reducing his bid, screwing the company down to a lower selling price. iow, his word on his bid was worthless.

[JoeChalupa]

I must admit I didn't see Romney screwing up a sure thing.

[Winehole23]

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/publ...blican_primary

[JoeChalupa]

only a link?

[CosmicCowboy]

Newts campaign reminds me of a B17 bomber flying through flak over Berlin...they just keep shooting chunks off of him but he still miraculously hasn't crashed.

[Winehole23]

only a link?

too hard to click?

[AFBlue]

Heard some very sound logic that the states after Florida play very much into the hands of Romney. So if he beats Gingrich in Florida or keeps it close he should lock up the nomination by building momentum over the next six weeks or so. Also playing against Gingrich...there's exactly one debate in the month of February.

[Winehole23]

not being on the ballot in VA and MO has got to hurt

[JoeChalupa]

too hard to click?

Too hard to post contents?

[JoeChalupa]

Tonight's debate should be interesting.

[Winehole23]

Too hard to post contents?

the link is relevant. ignore it if you wish.

[SnakeBoy]

Tonight's debate should be interesting.

Maybe. Romney will be Romney so nothing to see there. Same for Paul and Santorum. The only thing interesting will be to see how skillfully Newt tries to work in attacking the media for asking him questions. With his poll numbers plummeting he should be pretty desperate to try for another "victim of the liberal media" bounce.

[Girasuck]

Maybe. Romney will be Romney so nothing to see there. Same for Paul and Santorum. The only thing interesting will be to see how skillfully Newt tries to work in attacking the media for asking him questions. With his poll numbers plummeting he should be pretty desperate to try for another "victim of the liberal media" bounce.

I'm not a Romney supporter, but I thought this was his best debate so far. He received the majority of loud approval from the audience, and he neutralized Newt on several occasions, even calling ole Newt out on his state by state promises. The only weak point Romney had was with Santorum over Obamacare/Romneycare. He tried to recover, but Santorum made him look like a fool.

[CosmicCowboy]

Done deal

Right or wrong Romney will be the guy.

The rest can pack their bags and go home. Santorum will concede after Florida. Newts ego will keep him in but he's toast.

[Das Texan]

I'd just like to see Ron Paul secure a nice chuck of his own delegates.

[AFBlue]

I'm not a Romney supporter, but I thought this was his best debate so far. He received the majority of loud approval from the audience, and he neutralized Newt on several occasions, even calling ole Newt out on his state by state promises. The only weak point Romney had was with Santorum over Obamacare/Romneycare. He tried to recover, but Santorum made him look like a fool.

Romney did well and Newt was awful. For the second straight debate, the best debaters on the stage were Santorum and Paul. But, unlike the last debate the two actually got the chance to speak.

It likely won't improve the turnout for either substantially though.

[AFBlue]

Done deal

Right or wrong Romney will be the guy.

The rest can pack their bags and go home. Santorum will concede after Florida. Newts ego will keep him in but he's toast.

I don't think Santorum will go home after Florida. He said in post-debate that he had gotten more money in the last three weeks than in the previous nine months.

[SnakeBoy]

I'm not a Romney supporter, but I thought this was his best debate so far. He received the majority of loud approval from the audience, and he neutralized Newt on several occasions, even calling ole Newt out on his state by state promises. The only weak point Romney had was with Santorum over Obamacare/Romneycare. He tried to recover, but Santorum made him look like a fool.

Yep Romney's best debate by far. He smoked Gingrich to the point that Newt cried uncle and asked to stop the bickering. Then Newt tried his usual attack the media schtick and Blitzer gave him the smack down.

I don't quite agree on the Santorum/Romney exchange though. Santorum had an effective line of attack but his inability to deliver it without looking like an angry kid having a temper tantrum negates any advantage he might have gained from it imo.

Paul had a great performance tonight. His best of the debates I've watched. Congressman Paul your in the oval office and Castro calls what would you do? Well I'd ask him what he wants Fucking brilliant!

[Jacob1983]

I know that this question has been asked a million times but is Ron Paul going to run as a 3rd party candidate? I'd vote for him as a 3rd party candidate. I still think it's possible that he could by some miracle get the GOP nomination if voters stop caring gay people, bombing Iran, and crying over abortion and start listening to the real issues like the debt, jobs, and overeseas building. If the Mavs can win a championship against a Heat team that had Wade, Bosh, and Lebron, and the fact that the Mavs didn't have homecourt then why can't this miracle happen too?

Can you imagine Ron Paul as a 3rd party candidate? I'm not an expert or psychic but from what I've read in the polls, he would get enough to be allowed to be in the debates with Obama and Gingrich/Romney.

[SnakeBoy]

No he is not running as a 3rd party candidate (at least according to him). Politics ain't basketball so you may as well stop dreaming now.

[Jacob1983]

Yeah but people are still allowed to vote for him as a write in candidate if he doesn't wind up as the GOP nominee or a 3rd party candidate. For me, I'm either voting for him or the Libertarian candidate.

Can someone explain to me why a lot of voters are idiots especially when it comes to Ron Paul on foreign policy? Why do people hate what he says on foreign policy?
What's wrong with offering countries friendship and promoting diplomacy?
Why do we have to bomb countries and force them to do our bidding?

I can't believe how rude Gingrich and Romney were to that Palestinian American guy that asked a question about Palestine in the debate tonight. They basically told the guy that he was a piece of shit and that Palestine can go fuck itself.

[JoeChalupa]

Romney crushed Gingrich last night and I thought Santorum had the best night. Paul did nothing last night but did have a few good puns.

[JoeChalupa]

Yeah but people are still allowed to vote for him as a write in candidate if he doesn't wind up as the GOP nominee or a 3rd party candidate. For me, I'm either voting for him or the Libertarian candidate.

Can someone explain to me why a lot of voters are idiots especially when it comes to Ron Paul on foreign policy? Why do people hate what he says on foreign policy?
What's wrong with offering countries friendship and promoting diplomacy?
Why do we have to bomb countries and force them to do our bidding?

I can't believe how rude Gingrich and Romney were to that Palestinian American guy that asked a question about Palestine in the debate tonight. They basically told the guy that he was a piece of shit and that Palestine can go fuck itself.

To the GOP Paul's foreign policies show weakness. Period. Yeah, the treated that Palestinian like he wasn't even there.

[boutons_deux]

Mitt Romney's Struggle With Truth Continues

Mitt Romney's inexplicable compulsion to fudge facts continued in Thursday's debate, threatening to undermine his credibility over the long term. Romney's blurring came, as in previous debates, when he was challenged on his past.

On Thursday, his two most noticeable fibs involved whether he'd seen an ad -- a reprise of an earlier debate dodge -- and the nature of one of his investments.

The ad in question attacked Newt Gingrich for saying that Spanish is "the language of the ghetto." Romney, however, turned to Gingrich and said he didn't know whether the ad was true or not and wanted Gingrich to clarify.

"Let me ask the speaker a question. Did you say what the ad says or not? I don't know," Romney said.

CNN staff dug up the ad and Blitzer read the script to the candidates. Blitzer noted that Romney finished the ad by saying he approved the message.

At an earlier debate, Romney had deflected responsibility for super PAC attack ads, saying, "And with regards to their ads, I haven't seen them." Seconds later, he spoke as if he'd seen the ad. "The ad I saw said you were forced out of the speakership," Romney said.

The second truth question involved Romney's investment in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which Romney said was in a "blind trust" managed without his knowledge by a trustee.

"What my trustee did is he loaned money to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. And they got paid interest," Romney said. "But what the speaker did was get paid to promote Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac."

But, as the Boston Globe reported, the Fannie and Freddie investments were not in the blind trust: "Unlike most of Romney’s financial holdings, which are held in a blind trust that is overseen by a trustee and not known to Romney, this particular investment was among those that would have been known to Romney."

Romney adviser Eric Fehrnstrom acknowledged that not all of the Fannie and Freddie investments were managed by a blind trustee. "But," he wrote in an email, "in both cases the investments are not selected by Gov. Romney and he has no control over them."

Fehrnstrom added: "The campaign has produced 85 videos, TV ads and radio spots." Romney "doesn't recall every one."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...comm_ref=false

[Winehole23]

An unlikely name crept into Thursday night’s Republican debate in Florida: Paul E. Tsongas, a one-time Massachusetts Democratic senator and 1992 candidate for president who passed away 15 years ago this month.


Romney, who exercised his right as a registered independent to participate in the Bay State’s ’92 Democratic primary, acknowledged years ago that he cast his ballot for Tsongas, who was vying with Bill Clinton and Jerry Brown for the right to oppose President George H.W. Bush.


Gingrich reintrodiuced the subject in an effort to draw attention to Romney’s less-than-conservative past. Romney replied: “Just a short clarification. I’ve never voted for a Democrat when there was a Republican on the ballot. And in my state of Massachusetts, you could register as an independent and go vote in which — either primary happens to be very interesting. And any chance I got to vote against Bill Clinton or Ted Kennedy, I took. And so, I have always voted for a Republican any time there was a Republican on the ballot.”

http://www.salon.com/2012/01/27/the_...ney_voted_for/